Before Arby’s became the king of fast food roast beef sandwiches, the chain had quite an interesting history. At its start, Arby’s first menu featured sandwiches that cost less than a dollar and sides of potato chips; since then, Arby’s has undergone many transformations to become what it is today. However, one thing still remains a point of confusion to many: how Arby’s got its name.
The name Arby’s is meant to be a phonetic reference to the founders of the chain. Brothers Forrest and Leroy Raffel went into business together under a simple moniker: the Raffel brothers. When abbreviated, this spells out the letters R.B., which when pronounced out loud sounds exactly like the name Arby’s.
This subtle nod to the brothers has been confirmed by Arby’s as fact on X, formerly known as Twitter. However, despite the chain putting this mystery to rest, there has been a long-standing myth claiming that Arby’s is actually named for the roast beef used in its sandwiches. While this myth is still perpetuated to this day, the truth is a lot simpler: Arby’s is named after the two men that founded the chain.
The truth vs. the myth
It’s a little hard to believe that a myth about the name of a fast food chain could be so difficult to defeat, but perhaps what gives this rumor its life to begin with is the fact that it is based in partial truth. The rumor that Arby’s is named after roast beef stems from the fact that Arby’s is based on the initials R.B. It’s from this point where the myth begins.
Naturally, someone posited online that the initials actually stood for roast beef. The exact date and origin of this speculation isn’t precise, but it quickly spread around the internet on X and other social media sites. Many fans of the fast food chain believed it was a surprising fun fact about Arby’s roast beef. However, Arby’s has always been rather quick to respond to these rumors, clarifying that these initials and the company’s name are not related to roast beef.
The fact that Arby’s is meant to be a phonetic tribute to its founders is often a surprise to many who aren’t acquainted with the chain’s history. Nonetheless, it is the truth. The name is just a fun play on words, or in this case, the Raffel brothers.
